I can remember sitting through a leadership meeting, wide-eyed and open-jawed, in which church leaders discussed (as they apparently had many times before) a certain female vocalist on the worship team. The issue was that this woman was simply a terrible singer, but no one would tell her that because she loved singing on stage so much.
Have you ever been in that church service where everyone is held hostage by the vocal stylings of a kind, Jesus-loving, tone-deaf member? Or maybe you walked in on Sunday and were greeted by a well-intentioned but awful painting of a blurry crucifixion. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to hear a very “special” version of “Come Thou Fount,” which the band seemed to love even though it was a nightmare to hear, let alone sing along with.
Why do these things happen?
A huge contributor to these problems is a misunderstanding of the gifts that God gives us. It applies to everyone in the church, but it is often seen in the way the arts are used in the church.
What is the priority—gifts, or the church?
Did God give us the church as a place to use our gifts? Or did he give us gifts so we could serve the church? The difference might seem subtle, but the way you answer has a profound impact on how you view yourself, your church, and your volunteers. The Bible answers the question in this way: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pet. 4:10).
There are two important things to note in this verse:
The gifts are not from us
God’s gifts—like any gifts—are not from us. We did nothing to receive them, and we have nothing to boast in. Rather we rejoice and give thanks to the giver of the gifts.
The gifts are not for us
We are stewards of God’s gifts, and we are to use them to serve one another. It’s like someone giving another person a set of tools in order for them to build houses for the homeless. The gift has a purpose, and that purpose is not to satisfy the selfish desires of the recipient, but rather to serve others.
"Did God give us the church as a place to use our gifts? Or did he give us gifts so we could serve the church?"
In our case, the recipients are the church, the collective bride of Christ. The rubric for using our gifts must be that they are always used lovingly, faithfully, and selflessly to serve the church.
Shepherding gifts
When we understand our gifts rightly, it will change the way we use our own gifts and the way we help others to use theirs. Instead of letting the tone-deaf person sing because they firmly insist the church is the place to use their “gift,” we can lovingly shepherd them and help them find somewhere else to serve.
"We are stewards of God’s gifts, and we are to use them to serve one another."
Instead of hanging up sub-par artwork, we can encourage people to grow in their passion for painting while not subjecting the congregation to their “early work.” Instead of lurching awkwardly through a normally solid hymn, we can encourage the band to be creative, but to make sure their first goal is to help the congregation sing—not to impress us with their creativity.
It’s not our right to insist that our gifts be honored in the church.
It is our privilege and responsibility to offer them humbly for the service of others, submitting to the counsel and wisdom of others, for God’s glory and the joy of his people.
Dustin Kensrue leads worship as Mars Hill Orange County (USA). He loves theology, music, and anything that instills wonder in him, and he's also a husband and father of three girls.
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